Seven candidates have filed this year to run for three seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. Village Green has invited each candidate to submit a profile. The following profile is from Paul Stephan. Read more Village Green election coverage here.
Paul Stephan
Paul Stephan: Former Teacher, Lawyer, and Candidate for Board of Education
Paul Stephan, an environmental lawyer and a former teacher, is running for the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education to develop productive partnerships with the administration, implement better budget processes to prevent future deficits, and keep the focus on student success.
After graduating from college, Paul taught K-7 music in Orange, and he taught first grade in Newark. He maintains that being a teacher is the hardest job he ever had. Paul left the classroom with a deep respect for teachers, who put in tremendous time and effort, much of it unseen, unrecognized, and uncompensated, for the betterment of students.
Now Paul works as an environmental attorney, holding to account companies like Exxon Mobil and Monsanto. He and his colleagues represent state and local governments in lawsuits against chemical companies for causing water contamination, and against fossil fuel companies for deceiving consumers and the public about what they knew about climate change. He’s proud to say that every job he has had since college has been in the service of the community and the public interest.
As an attorney, Paul has continued to devote his time to education and equity. During law school he worked at the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. As a lawyer, he and his colleagues advocated in front of the Virginia Supreme Court for a trans student whose teacher refused to use the student’s correct pronouns. He has also taught undergraduate students as an adjunct professor.
If elected, Paul wants to develop a strong partnership with the Superintendent, teachers, and the community. The Board of Education does not itself educate students, so the Board needs to have a close working relationship with those who do. That entails listening to the professionals, informing them of the community’s concerns, and entering into dialogue to arrive at the best possible solutions for students. Paul believes that the Board’s role is neither to dictate nor to defer to the Superintendent, but to partner with them.
Developing that partnership will yield many benefits. Right now, for example, the Board does not consult teachers before passing new policies, even though teachers are often the ones responsible for implementing them. By listening to teachers, the Board can ensure that those policies will actually work at the ground level. Additionally, there has been too much turnover in District leadership, making it hard to build consistent practices. With a positive working relationship between the Board and administration, more educators and leaders will want to work here and stay here.
Paul is deeply concerned about recent layoffs. This school year, there are 28 fewer professionals here to help students grow. Paul is calling for improved budget processes to help prevent future deficits. Whereas right now the Board considers only the immediate budget year, Paul believes we need multi-year forecasting to make the best budget decisions. He also believes the Board should begin considering the budget in September, as it used to do, so that the Board and administration have more time to mold the best budget. Paul wants the District to explore environmentally sustainable solutions to bring in more revenue, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency projects to reduce electricity costs in District buildings.
Ultimately, Paul believes that the goal of our public schools is for every student, no matter their background, their abilities, and their interests, to be met where they are and get the education they deserve. That is no small feat, and it requires cooperation and hard work from the Board, the Superintendent, teachers, and parents. As a lawyer, Paul is used to navigating complex and fraught situations and bringing people together to arrive at solutions. As a former teacher, Paul understands how policy and governance is successfully translated into the classroom.
For those interested in learning more, Paul’s website is stephanforboe.com. You can also contact Paul at stephanforboe@gmail.com or 973-327-3774. And feel free to stop and talk if you see him walking around town with his wife Liz and his dogs Josie and Charlie!
